I am very seriously considering purchasing a 2006 Triumph Bonneville Black. I currently own a bike and have owned others in the past, but always bought them used in private transactions rather than from a dealer.
Generally speaking, does one haggle over the price of a new motorcycle? I assume there is some variation depending on the dealer and the level of demand for the model, but I just want to get an idea of whether I should expect to pay “sticker,” or whether I would be a chump to do so.
A few years ago I was looking at a new Yamaha YZF-R6. I looked at the $8000 sticker price and asked the dealer how much he’d sell it for. He said, ‘That’s the price.’ In 2003 I was at the same shop (I had my maintenance done there) and there was a red 2002 YZF-R1 on the floor among the silver and blue 2003s. Not only were the 2003s discounted about $500 from MSRP and the 2002 discounted $1,000, the sticker price was the ‘out-the-door’ price – including taxes, license, dealer prep… everything but insurance and a full tank of gas. The dealership was under new ownership from when I was looking at the R6.
Before that I bought a Yamaha XJ600. My g/f at the time liked it and wanted one of her own. We looked all over L.A., and no dealer would sell it below MSRP. We went up to the dealer in Lancaster (Tom Horton – ‘A peach of a guy’) who had taked $500 off the MSRP when I got my Seca. He also gave my g/f $500 off.
It really depends on the dealer, location and demand. Some dealers will deal. But in my experience they are a rare breed and the vast majority of dealers won’t. Bikes with a certain cachet, like the Triumph or a Harley Davidson or a Ducati, are probably seen more as ‘luxury items’ than a HYKS. But even those are seen as toys and not necessities.
I usually don’t correct my typos, believing that most people here understand that most of us really do know how to spell. But ‘had taked’…? :smack:
For dirt bikes, there are some dealers that sell bikes below list price - in some cases $1000 or more below list price for the top end bikes. They sell in high volume so they still make money. Many of these places will also ship you the bike for $200 but some do not ship, you have to pick the bike up yourself. One well known low cost dealer is Southern Honda in Chattanooga, I think they sell street bikes too.
I think you can always find a dealer who will drop the price if you look hard enough, especially in the off season like winter ( in areas that have a cold winter)
Bikes are negotiable. How negotiable depends on demand. The dealer might not be willing to move on the price of the latest hot models, but if he has a few on the showroom floor he will be more willing to haggle. You can also try looking at out-the-door prices from other places and use that as some leverage. AFAIK, Bonnie’s aren’t really hot-ticket items, you can probably talk the dealer down a bit. Try looking at model-specific message boards (Triumph Rat.net) for out-the-door prices and you can get an idea of what the bike is really going for.
Like YWalker says, time of year also plays a factor. Spring is the worst time to find a deal on a new bike, because everyone’s looking to trade up to something new. Winter is a slow time, so you can get good deals then. Fall is also good because that’s when next year’s models start arriving and you can often negotiate on a holdover.
Another thing, even if he won’t move on the price, you may still be able to get some extras thrown in, such as helmets, riding gear, or accesories.
